As winter winds sweep through Atlanta, the comforting allure of a hot plate of soul food is hard to resist. Gee and Juan Smalls, a married couple and proud co-owners of Virgil’s Gullah Kitchen & Bar, are serving up that warmth and flavor. Together for 16 years, the couple opened their first location in College Park in 2019, bringing a taste of Gullah-inspired soul food to the community.

The queer-owned establishment started as a way for Black queer men to have another safe space in Atlanta’s community. The pair originally got their start in hospitality through event production and promotion in 2010. After realizing no spaces were owned by and for Black queer men, they decided to open one themselves.

“One thing we noticed after a few years is that there were no bars or lounges or spaces that were owned by us, Gee told Georgia Voice. “While we would go into some of these spaces and some of them would accept us, and some of them would tolerate us. Never really loved and affirmed — they couldn’t see us. Especially in Black gay Atlanta, why is there not a Black gay-owned spot here?”

They wanted their restaurant to feel like home for their Black queer patrons.

Once they found a building in College Park, they set to work on their menu. Quickly realizing they would need to serve more than just drinks to College Park patrons, they realized they “didn’t know what we were gonna serve. We went from burgers to wings to tacos to pizza, bar food, whatever. I’m from Charleston, South Carolina — which is Gullah Geechee culture — I’ve cooked all my life.”

The Smalls ultimately decided to turn toward Gee’s roots and bring awareness to Gullah Geechee culture.

“So, we decided let’s serve what I like to cook — and then it turned into Virgil’s Gullah Kitchen & Bar,” Gee said.

The Gullah Geechee culture can be found in many parts of the coastal United States, including the Carolinas, Georgia, and Florida. Known officially as the Gullah Geechee Corridor, it was declared a National Heritage Area in 2006 by Congress.

Notable for its dialect, “Gullah” is another form of Creole vernacular combining Southern English and West African root words. Although this influence was not always recognized by linguists, today Gullah is seen by scholars as a complete language with its own grammatical structure.

Many of the dishes characteristic of Gullah Geechee culture reflect the preservation of West African culture during enslavement in remote coastal islands in the South.

“We have something called red rice,” Gee said. “We eat a lot of rice in our culture because our ancestors were brought over to the Americas to grow rice in Charleston. You see a lot of dishes like crab rice, and red rice is a tomato-based rice with pork in it…. Atthe base of Gullah Geechee food is soul food. Being the oldest Black culture, of course that’s where soul food came from. A  typical plate is collard greens, mac and cheese, and fried chicken, which we call our ‘Afta Church Plate’.”

In another homage to Gee’s heritage, the restaurant is named after his late father, Virgil.

Previously featured on Good Morning America in 2021, Virgil’s Gullah Kitchen and Bar now boasts three locations in College Park, West Midtown and now Conyers. The restaurant continues to provide an upscale experience of Gullah Geechee cuisine. Diners can enjoy a plate of Gullah Geechee-style Shrimp & Grits — unique due to its gravy base — to the sounds of 1990s and early 2000s R&B classics. For the winter season, I can personally recommend the okra gumbo served with white rice, Rogerwood sausage, shrimp and crab.

While the venture originally started as a way to build space for Black queer men, patrons now represent all of Atlanta. The restaurant still pays homage to its roots by hosting Friends Friday, dedicated to Black queer men, as well as period drag shows. The restaurant also continues to support the queer community by supporting organizations like Viiv, the leading health care company in HIV/AIDS research, awareness, and treatment. The restaurant continues to give back to the Gullah Geechee community in Charleston by sponsoring a youth summer camp dedicated to education and preserving Gullah Geechee culture.

As they look toward the future, the couple remains committed to their mission to bring a plate of home to the community that gave them their start.

“We just want everybody to know that this is a home for our community,” Gee said.

Learn more about Virgil’s Gullah Kitchen and Bar at virgilsgullahkitchen.com.